How the opal was created
by Yamiloli01
Summary: This story is about how the Opal was created. This is my first fanfic, so no flames, please.
1. Chapter 1

Once, there was a beautiful goddess named Iris. Iris was the goddess of the rainbow. Every time it rained when the sun was out, Iris would fly her multicolored chariot across the sky, filling it with a dazzling array of colors. Though Iris was also one of Hera's constant attendants, she was really lonely. She had longed for a friend to talk to and share secrets with, someone who wasn't as egotistical as most of her fellow Olympians. Little did she know how soon she would find that person.

Meanwhile, on Earth, there was a beautiful mortal maiden named Opalia, who was a tall, slim girl with waist-length, curly red hair, and an hourglass figure with curves in all the right places. Her heavily-lidded eyes, though, were the most striking of her features. The pupils of her eyes were compromised of not just one, but many colors swirled together, like the rainbow. Because of her notorious beauty, many desired her as theirwife, but she would have no one, though she had led many on. Her parents begged for her to choose one, but she had scoffed and replied, "I WILL not mate with someone I do not love. These men just want me for my beauty and my curvaceous figure. They don't care about my intellect or personality. Until I find someone that does, I will continue to reject suitors," and she had prayed to Artemis, the protector of unmarried women, to protect her from the wrath of her suitors. Now, despite that Opalia had many so-called 'friends', who were actually jealous of her beauty, she was very lonely. She longed for someone with whom to confide her darkest secrets, someone who would understand her. What she didn't know is that she would soon meet someone who would change her world in those ways.


	2. Chapter 2

One day, as Iris was walking through the woods, she had heard someone shouting. Her curiosity piqued, she ran to see what the fuss was about. What she saw made her mouth drop open. A mortal maiden had a male backed up against a tree and she was raining blows on his already battered body. She was still shouting, though Iris couldn't hear exactly what was said. As Iris crept closer, she started to giggle silently at some of the very creative invectives that the girl hurled at the youth. It seemed that she was shouting at him for kissing her and feeling her up. On hearing the most humorous invective yet (something to do with the hindquarters of a donkey), Iris let out a shriek of laughter. Upon hearing this, the girl whipped around to face her, feet spread apart in the defensive stance that both Ares and Athena adopted when fighting hand-to-hand combat. The youth took this opportunity to flee the girl's wrath without looking back once. "Who are you,"the girl demanded in a neutral tone. "I am Iris, the goddess of the rainbow," Iris replied in the same tone. The only thing that hinted as to the maiden's surprise was the widening of her eyes, as she said sardonically, "Oh, you're Iris, eh? Well, excuse my misconduct involving this unfortunate youth if it offended you, but he needed to learn to keep his wondering hands to himself." At this, Iris dissolved into a fit of giggles. The girl gave her a quizzical look, which caused Iris to giggle harder, before joining her. When the giggles finally subsided, Iris asked, "I am at a disadvantage, because you know my name, and I don't know yours. So what is your name?" The girl smirked and replied, "My name is Opalia, my Lady." Iris rolled her eyes at the hidden formality in Opalia's tone and said, "Please do not call me my lady. It makes me seem so old." Opalia chuckled, "Then shall I just call you Iris?" "Yes, please," Iris replied. "Well, Iris," Opalia began, suddenly shy, "Do you want to be my friend?" "Of, course," she replied, grinning broadly. Opalia broke out into a huge grin, relieved.Thus began a long and fruitful friendship. Iris and Opalia spent a lot oftheir days blissfully wandering, adventuring, and just enjoying the beauty of the land, and they both got what they desired: Iris got someone to share her secrets with, and Opalia got someone who would understand her.


	3. Chapter 3

Their contentment was short-lived, though, for something was about to happen that would change them both forever, in more ways than one. One day Iris was out hunting for one of the elder people at the village that Opalia lived at, when she heard a high-pitched shriek. Breaking into a sprint, Iris arrived at a grisly scene. A giant snake had bitten Opalia on the calf and was slowly draining the life out of her, paralyzing her with its venom. With a shriek of fury, Iris threw herself onto the snake, tearing it off of her friend, before slashing at it with the twin swords that she always carried when she was hunting. Since she was angry, her slashes did less damage, leaving the snake badly injured, but alive (for the moment). She was so blinded with fury that she failed to see Opalia reach over with a knife and slice the snake's head off.

Iris looked up when she felt the life leave the snake's body. Opalia grinned weakly at her, before doubling over in pain. Iris rushed to her, startled, and tried to stem the flow of blood gushing from her leg, but Opalia shook her head, saying in a raspy voice, "I have not long to live, for the snake's venom has almost completed its course through my bloodstream. There is something I must confess to you before I die." Iris cradled Opalia's head in her arms. Opalia gazed at her tearfully before continuing, "All my life I had hoped for someone like you: someone who wouldn't say cruel things about me behind my back, someone who wouldn't judge me by the way I appear, someone who I could trust with my darkest secrets. I never thought I'd find someone who would actually do those things until you came along. Thank you for everything you have done for me." Tears welled up in Iris' eyes, as she replied, "No, my friend, thank you for everything. I, too, had wished for those things and had never thought I'd find them, until you came along. You have become my sun and my rain, for no rainbow is complete without both. I shall miss you forever." Opalia smiled weakly, before rasping her final words, "Goodbye, my dearest one."

As Opalia's eyes closed for the final time, her body twitching with the convulsions of death, tears leaked out of Iris' eyes and spattered on Opalia's pale cheek. Soon, her whole body was wracked with sobs, as she gazed into Opalia's lifeless eyes, the only eyes that had ever understood her. They were still beautiful, even in death, with all the colors swirled together like tiny rainbows. As she stared into those beautiful eyes, an idea slowly formed in Iris' mind. She thought, "Why don't I turn Opalia into a gemstone? Then she can be my totem, and be with me forever." A gentle breeze brushed against her cheek,as if it approved of her idea. That made up Iris' mind, so she began her tedious task.She first started by turning Opalia into a plain, grey stone, before she swirled all of the colors of the rainbow together in an empty bucket, making sure that they didn't blend together into one color, but instead complimented each other. She then poured the colors onto the stone, making sure that they were spread evenly over the entire surface, before stepping back to survey her work. Her eyes widened in surprise at what she saw. Never before had she seen so much color on one tiny surface. The splendor of the colors had also surprised her. Each hue was the richest ever seen by anyone, mortal or immortal. The colors had all reminded her of tiny gemstones mixed together to create absolute beauty. Iris said to herself, "I shall call it Opal in honor and memory of Opalia, my only true friend. The Opal shall adorn my throne, so then Opalia can be beside me forever.The Opalwill be my totem, now and forever."Thus Iris finally had a totem and the Opal was created. Now whenever anyone looks upon the surface of an opal, they are reminded of Opalia, and the endless friendship she shared with Iris.


End file.
